


A Garden Full of Dumbasses

by Gaggleworth



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Idiots in Love, LGBTQ Themes, Light-Hearted, Love at First Sight, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Romance, Slice of Life, Urban Fantasy, Werewolves, Witches, but not really, magic is secret
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26093848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaggleworth/pseuds/Gaggleworth
Summary: His boyfriend is a werewolf, his bartender is a siren and his best customer is a teen aged witch. Yet somehow, Scott had missed every hint and clue the world had given him.A series of light and fluffy stories about a gardener learning (1) that magic exists and (2) how to live with it.
Kudos: 24





	1. When Scott met Isaac

**Author's Note:**

> And at long, long last; I have I have gotten around to posting this story. This story is only possible due to the contributions to my friend, who helped come up with the characters and encouraged me every step of the way.
> 
> PLEASE NOTE: Magic exists in this world, but there will only be hints at it in the first arc as the MC (Scott) does not know it exists yet.

Tuesdays were inherently boring. Sure, they were one of the few days Isaac had off work, but there never seemed to be anything to do other than chores or errands. So, with nothing better to do, Isaac found himself at the bank staring at the ass of the guy in front of him.

Sure, he wasn't specifically there to ogle a stranger's physique - he had a deposit to make- but Isaac was not about to deny himself the pleasures derived from a strong back and thick thighs. And from the short glimpses Isaac got of the man's face, the stranger ahead of him was all around quite easy on the eyes. Well... if one liked a scruffy five o' clock shadow and a jaw chiseled out of granite. Isaac was certainly a fan.

For a couple moments Isaac entertained the idea of striking up a conversation. Of bumping into him and claiming it was a silly accident. Very simple, perhaps juvenile ideas, but they worked often enough in the movies that it was at least worth a shot. Simple fantasies where he'd get the guy's number and they'd perhaps go get a coffee. Did the stranger like coffee? Maybe he took his coffee black.

From what Isaac could overhear from the counter, the man had a soft voice, a gentle murmur on the deeper end of the spectrum. Just enough to send little shivers down Isaac's spine. He wasn't eavesdropping. That wasn't Isaac's intent. Not that it was really possible as the words faded into unrecognizable sounds about four feet behind him where the bank line started. But not hearing exactly what was being said allowed Isaac the freedom to imagine that voice saying just about anything.

"Next." The teller's voice broke off Isaac's fantasies and the stranger, tragically, disappeared out the front door. Oh well, nothing can last forever; and Isaac was content with the couple of minutes he had. "How can I help you today?"

The teller was pretty enough in her own right, hair pulled into a professional bun and make up so soft and flawless it made it difficult to accurately guess her age. And there was a cheer behind that professional smile of hers. Still, Isaac would have rather been back in line looking at the stranger.

"Hi, yes, I have a check to deposit," Isaac said, returning her smile as he slid the check across the counter.

"It seems rather quiet in here today."

"It is a Tuesday," the woman replied. "If you can swipe your card, I can find your account faster."

Isaac obeyed without thinking; quickly swiping his card then shoving it back in his wallet. It was a comfortable routine, one that didn't need thinking. Which was good, because right next to the card reader was a set of keys. The teller probably hadn't noticed them; the machine was in the way. There hadn't been anyone else in the bank except for Isaac and the stranger.

He swiped the keys. His patience held out just long enough to politely answer all the woman's questions and accept the receipt. Then he was out the door; keys gripped tightly in his hand.

As expected, the stranger was nowhere in sight. Not that Isaac needed to see someone to be able to track them. The keys held a strong enough scent beyond their natural metal tang; a rich smell of wet earth and an overtone of Old Spice.

"Gotcha," Isaac grinned, before he broke off down the street at a trot.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Scott growled as he checked his pockets for the second, third, and fourth time. Eventually he had to admit that his keys were gone. The "Be Back Soon" sign in the storefront window stared mockingly at him. He had intended to be gone for two hours over lunch; had intended to open his shop back up at 2:30. But now? Now he just wanted to go home and tuck into left over pizza and whatever beer he still had left in the fridge.

Except his home was above his store. For which he still was missing the keys. Scott dragged a hand through his hair, attempting to think rationally through things. He had gone to a new café four blocks over; then he stopped by the bank, which was halfway between his shop and the café.

To say Scott was stressed was an understatement. Ever since opening his shop six months ago it seemed like everything possible that could go wrong had done just that. In the first month there was the pipe burst that molded all of his seeds and half of his plants. Then the HOA had started harassing him shortly after that; first because the new paint he had chosen for the store front was "unsightly" then because his own personal garden was "not supposed to be visible to the public; despite the fact that the fence that came with the property was made of decorative wrought iron. Then when he hired a guy to change the fence out with a solid stone wall, they bitched about how it was against the aesthetic of the area. Susan, the HOA president and Scott's eternal menace, nearly burst an artery when she noticed the ivy growing on the wall. But the HOA was merely a nuisance compared to the bank.

For three weeks now Scott had been receiving notices about how he was falling behind on his payments. It was hard to make any money when he barely had any customers. Sure there were a few old ladies who liked to peruse his shop and were actually very lovely. But they weren't enough to keep his business afloat. It was almost enough to make him want to quit.

But it had taken Scott four years to save up the money for this shop. And he would be damned if he was going to give up on his dream so quickly. Steeling himself for what was likely to be a long search, Scott turned --

"Excuse me! Are these keys yours?!"

Startled, Scott turned to face the man who was running up the street; a pair of keys held out in front of him. Relief flooded him as he recognized the green lizard charm, a good luck present from his mother.

"Oh, thank --" Black bangs; soft cheeks. The man was mesmerizing. His chest rose and fell in a gentle rhythm, exerted but not worn out. Light blue tank top against dark oak skin; eyes the color of hawthorn berries. "-- you."

"I'm glad I was able to catch you, you were practically out of sight when I noticed you left these," the younger man said with the brightest smile Scott ever witnessed. A soft tongue licked orchid tinted lips. A hand scratched at his neck, drawing Scott’s eyes to toned arms.

"Yeah..." He was staring. He needed to stop staring! "So..." It was too hot; between the kind man and the sun, Scott couldn't quite think properly. The stranger seemed to have worked up a sweat chasing him down. "Would you like to come inside? I could get you a glass of water, or a beer if you like?" Scott asked, then quickly added, "as thanks for bringing me my keys back. You know, only if you want."

"You know, I think I'd like that," the stranger said; his smile growing even brighter. Scott fumbled with the keys, nearly dropping them as he unlocked the store. He needed to get away from that smile, if only for a moment, otherwise it was going to be impossible to think.

"Is this your shop?" the man asked, walking down the aisle after Scott. He took his time, looking about the plants and tools that filled the wall and shelves and hip high counters; his fingers tracing the leaves and vines that he passed. "That's really awesome. I've never met anyone with a shop before. Huh, Scott's Nursery. So your name's Scott then?"

In that moment, all of the pain and struggles of the last six months had been worth it. Pride swelled in his chest as he saw the admiration in that one man's eyes. And without thinking, unable to control himself, he held out his hand. "That's right, Scott Gardner, at your service. Owner of Scott’s Nursery."

"Isaac Wolfe." His grip was firm, and somehow Scott felt as if they were agreeing to something; though he wasn't certain what.

"If you have any questions about any sort of plant, I'm your man. But, I promised you a drink, didn't I?" Scott said. He lifted the half counter and waved for Isaac to follow him down a small corridor to the back. The break room was rather small, but it had a table with three chairs and a small little kitchenette. Isaac quickly made himself at home, practically lounging in his chosen seat. 

"Would you rather have a beer or some water?" Scott asked as he bent over the mini fridge. 

"I think I could go for a tall glass of water," Isaac said. Scott paused, Isaac's smile was perfectly innocent, but there was definitely some heat behind it. So Scott shifted on his feet as he grabbed a couple of water bottles, intentionally shifting his hips. And as he turned, he noticed Isaac's eyes linger on his ass. That made him grin. 

To hell with opening his shop back up. For as long as Isaac was willing to stay, Scott was going to stay right there with him. And when that decision led to ordering take out and eventually into the bed? Well, sometimes that's just how things are meant to happen.


	2. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending the night together, Scott and Isaac enjoy a quiet morning and a pancake breakfast.

Waking up next to someone was a delightful and novel experience; the head on his shoulder and the gentle cadence of inhalation and exhalation against his side. It had been nearly a decade since Scott had been in college and about three years since his last relationship. He had forgotten how soothing it was simply being close to someone. It wasn’t perfect by any means; the perpetual headache from months of stress was still there, but it was diminished; a slight tapping on his skull instead of hammering. 

And Isaac was warm. Scott was aware of that from his shoulder where Isaac rested his head, to his toes where their legs were tangled, and to his belly where Isaac’s arm had been slung. It was the perfect argument to stay in bed. The world offered only bills and busy-bodies, but Isaac. Isaac was perfect.

The faint glow of 6:07 AM did very little to illuminate the room, but it was enough to trace the soft edge of Isaac's cheek to the sharp curve of his chin. Enough to notice the wild spikes in Isaac's hair; though whether it was wild from sleep or other nightly activities, it was difficult to tell. It was in that moment that Scott realized he could touch him; could pull Isaac closer and card fingers through his hair; could caress his cheek or even run a thumb along his lips. Yet he refrained.

How was one supposed to act around a one-night stand? While sex had been wonderful and the afterglow blissfully relaxing, at some point it would have to end. They would wake up and Isaac would leave and Scott would get on with his life. The seedlings needed constant attention; the ferns needed repotting. But as the clock ticked and the sun spilled farther into the room; Scott drank in Isaac's features, cementing that moment of peace and locking it in his memory. 

With a low growl, that Scott felt more than heard, Isaac shifted in his sleep; stretching out both arms and legs, then rolled on top of Scott before settling once more; arms wrapped tight around him and head resting directly over Scott's heart. Then, with a contented sigh, Isaac relaxed as his breathing returned to its steady cadence. 

Well, at least now Scott had a reasonable excuse to remain in bed and ignore his shop. While he hadn't known Isaac long, he somehow got the vibe that the younger man did not wake easily. So Scott wrapped his arms around Isaac and drifted off into a light sleep. He didn't technically have to open his shop till half past nine. Surely he could afford to sleep in just this once. 

And so the two of them passed the early morning wrapped gently in each other's warmth. Until 7:00 came and the alarm clock declared the hour. There were three loud beeps before a loud crash that made Scott flinch; he might have yelped. Then there was silence. Isaac grunted, nodded his head once, then nestled back into Scott's chest.

The alarm clock was smashed, either side was bent up as the display flickered in a pathetic attempt at life before going black. Ok, so Isaac definitely didn't like getting up in the morning. That made life much more challenging. While Scott was an easy going guy and generally pretty hard to startle, it was definitely a difficult to relax after such a display of destruction. 

"What's wrong?" Isaac mumbled, his eyes still closed, though his head was shifted to face Scott. His nose wrinkled as he sighed. "You're tense."

"You just de--" he hesitated as he looked at Isaac, the way Isaac’s brow creased in concern as he blinked open his eyes, the way his lips pursed into a slight pout, the way Isaac's half open eyes searched Scott's face looking for the source of distress. "You know, it's nothing actually," Scott said gently as he ran a hand soothingly down Isaac's back. "I just startled awake is all."

"That's no good," Isaac murmured. He shifted forward, pressing his forehead against Scott's and started taking deep breaths. Somehow, Scott found himself matching Isaac's rhythm and slowly the tension left him. Isaac must have been able to tell, as a smile stretched across his face. 

Then one of them leaned in; it was hard to tell who, perhaps it was both of them; and they spent the next countless minutes kissing each other awake. There was a serenity and ease about being together, not at all like what Scott imagined a one-night stand would be like. 

"We... are you hungry?" Scott asked. It was hard to tell the time, but he was starting to feel the urgency to start his day. Isaac tilted his head to the side for a moment, as if he were thinking, then nodded. "Alright, I'll go ahead and make us some breakfast," Scott said as he finally got out of bed. He fumbled about with his clothes, acutely aware of Isaac watching him. "That is, if you want to stay. I understand if you don't." He might have added more, except Isaac caught his hand.

"I want to stay."

Scott’s breath caught in his throat. Isaac offered a gentle smile, his head tilted just slightly to the side as he squeezed Scott’s hand. "Right, I... I'll go make pancakes. You do like pancakes, right?" 

“Pancakes are good,” Isaac said. Then he started getting dressed so Scott retreated to the kitchen, pausing in the bathroom long enough to splash some water on his face. 

Cooking had always been soothing to Scott and he could feel his heart rate settling down as he tied the apron around his waist and pushed his bangs out of his face. He set the pan onto the stove top with a generous amount of butter and turned the flames on low as he readied the batter. He pulled the ingredients onto the counter, measured by eye as he poured the flour and milk and sugar into the bowl. It was a familiar recipe and by the time Isaac joined him in the kitchen, Scott was leaning against the counter mixing the batter together. 

“Good morning, did you sleep well?” Scott asked politely, as if they hadn’t recently been making out. Isaac looked only marginally more awake now; his shirt was inside out and he slumped into a chair, leaning onto the table, but his hair was slightly tidier.

“Perfectly wonderful,” Isaac said and he took a moment to smile at Scott, his eyes closed, as if that exemplified the pleasantness of the expression. “You?”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Scott said as he poured the first pancake into the pan. He could have added any number of extras into the batter; chocolate chips, blueberries, raspberries, or even walnuts; but Scott hadn’t stopped to ask if Isaac had any allergies, so plain pancakes would have to do. “I slept quite well, as well. If I’m being honest, that’s probably the best sleep I’ve gotten in a long time.”

Isaac grinned. “I guess that just proves you should exercise before bed more often then.” 

Scott chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. “Maybe; but I have… exercised on my own before and not slept nearly as well as I did last night. So perhaps exercise is not quite the answer.” 

“Well obviously exercising by yourself is not at good as exercising with a partner,” Isaac teased. “Clearly you need to have a partner to help you out; work out all that stress and tension.” He winked and licked his lips; clearly much more awake than he had been only moments ago. 

“Are you offering to be my partner? It would be very cruel of you to put the idea in my head and then leave me hanging,” Scott replied. He swirled the pancake on the pan, then with a quick flick of his wrist, flipped the pancake and set it back onto the stove. Isaac stared at him, eyes wide and mouth agape as if Scott had performed some sort of magic trick.

“How?! You did that like it was nothing?” He shifted to stand next to Scott and stared down at the pancake in wonder, as if to prove that it really did exist. “You didn’t even need a spatula.” Isaac was too cute for his own good and Scott turned to fetch some plates to give himself a break.

“I guess I picked up a few tricks over the years,” he said with a shrug, hoping that would seem more impressive than boasting about his skills. It must have worked because Isaac stared at him with a sort of wordless wonder and he hovered nearby as Scott slid the pancake onto one of the plates. “Would you like one pancake or two?”

“Two please,” Isaac replied, watching rather intently as Scott poured the batter into the pan. 

“Do you not do much cooking at home?” Scott asked as he set the butter and syrup onto the table. “Would you like anything to drink? Coffee, tea, milk?”

Isaac shook his head. “I have a habit of setting off the fire alarm. So I’m not allowed in the kitchen much anymore,” he said. “I’ll have orange juice if you have any.” 

“That would make it difficult to do any cooking,” Scott admitted. He poured Isaac a glass of juice and handed it over; then made his way over to start a pot of coffee for himself. 

“I mostly live on pizza and take out,” Isaac admitted. “Don’t worry though, I make sure to get at least some veggies each day. My mama raised me right.” He shifted out of the way as Scott flipped the second pancake.

“Well I’m glad to hear that. Vegetables are an important part of nutrition,” Scott said. “I personally like home cooked meals myself. Though it does get lonely cooking only for myself all the time.” Scott paused and stared at the cabinet in front of him. He hadn’t meant to admit that last part; hopefully Isaac wouldn’t notice. 

“Being lonely is the worst,” Isaac said and settled a hand on Scott’s shoulder. He leaned over the pancakes and took a deep breath, sighing as he exhaled. “Damn, I can’t wait to try these. I haven’t smelled anything this good in ages.” 

Scott chuckled and plated the second pancake. “Well you don’t have to wait any longer,” he said as he handed the plate over. “Butter and syrup are on the table, let me know if you need anything else.” 

“You are the best,” Isaac said, kissing Scott quickly on the cheek as he took the plate. He immediately started buttering the pancakes, though he waited to start eating. It took a moment, but Scott realized he was waiting for both of them to have food.

“There’s no need to wait on me, it’s going to take another few minutes before mine are ready,” Scott said. Isaac shook his head, insistent upon waiting for Scott, ‘as was proper’. Scott shrugged and poured himself a cup of coffee. And after about five minutes, joined Isaac at the table with his own stack of pancakes.

“This is so good, you’re like a chef or something,” Isaac said after a couple of bites. He moaned, almost for dramatic effect as he took a bite. Then he paused, toying with his fork a moment. “Hey Scott? I really like being around you and I..... Do you think I could come by later? Maybe visit you at the shop?”

Scott’s heart skipped and he nearly dropped his own fork. “Of— Of course. I could make dinner, for the both of us. If you’d like to come join me that is.”

Isaac, in his excitement, shot up and leaned across the table to kiss Scott, shirt falling haphazardly onto the pancakes and nearly knocking over his juice. “I would love that,” he whispered. Then he winked and giggled. “I would hate for you to be lonely.” He settled back into his chair, his smile absolutely contagious. “And how else will you get the proper exercise so you can sleep?”


	3. Never Make a Bet with Your Bartender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been a week since Scott gone for a drink, so his drinking buddy and bartender make a bet about what is keeping Scott from the bar.

The Siren's Call was one of three bars in town, and in Scott's mind, it was the best by far. It was a cozy place that leaned into its nautical theme with pictures of mermaids and marine life covering the walls and had an assortment of shells and messages in bottles in various locations. Had the bar been on a beach front, it likely would have been a tourist trap; instead, it was situated just off of Fifth and Maple, a short twenty minute walk from Scott’s Nursery and two hours from the nearest shore. It drew a regular crowd and in the few months since Scott had started frequenting the place, he had figured out the natural lulls in the day when he could drink in peace.

"Well look what the cat dragged in!" 

Well, mostly in peace. 

Trevor was grinning like the idiot he was as Scott took his place at the bar. Dani, the bar’s owner, smiled as she greeted Scott and poured him the usual. True to form, the bar was mostly empty. Aside from Trevor, there were two other people down the bar and a table of two in the corner. The standard crowd for an early Monday evening.

"We were starting to think you didn't like us anymore. You had us worried, man," Trevor said. Despite his outward appearance as a tough guy, with multiple piercings, tattoos, and clothes covered in grease stains, Trevor was a decent guy who was quick to smile and even quicker to lend a helping hand. 

"How could I not like you anymore? It’s been a week." 

“No text, no call, no warning; you just stop showing up for drinks. What was I supposed to think?”

"Mr. Dramatic over here has been lamenting about how you must have found a new friend to replace us with and how he'll have to find a new drinking buddy," Dani said with a chuckle, clearly entertained by Trevor’s antics. She was a shorter woman with pixie like features; a small round nose and almost unnaturally big blue silver eyes. She wore her wedding band on a silver necklace, though that never stopped her from flirting for better tips

"Seriously?" Scott asked with eyebrows raised as he gave Trevor a look. "Just cause I skipped out on a few drinks? Might I remind you of the time you flooded the apartment in college? How about the time you shaved off my eyebrows or filled my shoes with live slugs? I’ve stayed friends with you through all that; so why would I replace you now?"

"Well now I feel dumb--" 

“You are dumb.”

Trevor pouted and looked to Dani for support, who just stared back at him with a grin as if to dare him to ask her what she really thought. With a huff and a shake of his head, Trevor turned back to Scott. "My point is that you’re the responsible sort, you always let me know when you can’t make it out. So what am I supposed to think when you just stop showing up unexpectedly? How could I not get worried about you?" 

A twinge of guilt stabbed at Scott; he had been so enchanted by Isaac and getting to know the younger man that he had completely forgotten about anyone else and had even blown off his friend. It would have taken two seconds to let Trevor know what was going on.

"You know you could have texted him," Dani interjected, "instead of crying about your best friend has forsaken you and how you can't bear to go on alone." 

“Hey! I did not cry about it!” Trevor protested, which caused Dani to laugh and made Scott feel a little better. “I was proper manly and cool about the whole thing. Like James Dean if he were worried about a close pal.”

Scott chuckled to himself as Trevor got more and more animated as Dani goaded him on. At times like these, it was hard to believe that Trevor was two years older than him. “I got the picture, I’ll do better to let you know if I won’t be able to show up,” he said, then couldn’t help but to add, "you're like a puppy, you know that?”

"Better than being a bear," Trevor retorted.

"Stop pretending you know what that means." 

“Soooo,” Trevor said, turning his chair to face Scott, leaning against the bar and propping his hand against his face. “If you don’t hate me and you haven’t replaced me with a new drinking buddy in some other bar, just what have you been doing this past week? You better have a good explanation kiddo."

Scott chuckled at the serious look Trevor was failing to give him; much like an older brother trying to interrogate a sibling instead of simply asking what had been going on. With a shake of his head, Scott took a sip of beer and prepared to tell him all about the wonderful week dinners he had had with Isaac. Though perhaps he would be vague on the details of what happened after the dinners.

“Well--”

“Hang on,” Dani interrupted, holding up a finger to stop him. She stepped back to grab the top shelf rum and pour half a glass; then she set the glass down halfway between herself and Trevor. Then she grinned and leaned against the bar with a mischievous grin. “Alright, sorry about that. Please continue.”

Scott shot a glance at Trevor, as if to ask what the deal was, though he had a wild look in his eye and a stupid grin on his face. It was a look that promised entertainment and that whatever was going on came from a ridiculous and/or stupid idea. Added to the fact that it involved alcohol? Yeah, Trevor was up some sort of idiocy that it was better not to get involved with; though from the way Trevor and Dani both were looking at him, there didn’t seem to be a way to not be involved.

“Ah-- right then. As I was saying, I met a guy last week,” Scott said as a smile crept onto his face. It was impossible to think of Isaac and not be happy. “He’s charming and handsome and we really hit it off. So we’ve been going out and getting dinner and getting to know each other.”

“Nooooo,” Trevor wailed as Dani grinned smugly and held out a hand, demanding he pay up. So they had been betting on what Scott’s answer would be. That made sense. Scott took a slow sip as Trevor tried to weasel his way out of the bet. 

“Wait, double or nothing!”

Dani’s eyes narrowed, like a cat staring down at a mouse, as she leaned closer to the bar. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? You already owe me $30, do you really want to risk going $60 into the hole over one little bet?” 

Stupidly, Trevor insisted he did. They agreed to wager on Isaac’s age with Dani betting he was in his late twenties, and Trevor betting he was in his early thirties. They shook hands and Dani topped off the glass before they turned back to Scott for the verdict.

Scott felt bad for his friend as he pointed at Dani, "she's right." 

Trevor howled and slumped onto the bar as Dani wolfishly grinned and immediately held her hand out to be paid. With a frustrated huff Trevor handed over sixty bucks and accepted the rum. 

"So, you guys were betting on why I wasn't showing up, I take it?" 

Dani nodded and went back to washing up the glasses. "Earlier in the week I mentioned that you were probably on a date and Trevor laughed, saying that wasn't possible. He seemed to think you were stuck on coming up with business strategies to make rent. Well, either that or you ran out into the woods to live off the land." 

"I never should have made that stupid bet," Trevor grumbled. He sighed wistfully as he sipped his rum, then grinned and drank some more. Apparently it was hard to stay mad whilst drinking the best rum in the house, even if he did end up paying double what it normally cost.

"I did warn you not to bet against me," Dani said, with a laugh. "I own and run the bar, I hear all the gossip."

Scott raised an eyebrow. He knew that Dani kept a pulse on everything going on in town; she had even known about his shop the first time he had gone to get a drink. It shouldn’t have been a shock that she knew about his relationship; yet it was. “What sort of gossip?”

"Oh, nothing much," Dani said with a twinkle in her eye and a wave of her hand. "I just overheard an excitable fellow talking about a gardener with a big heart and gentle hands. It’s not what I would call hot gossip, only a few people know, just me and his friends.” She paused for effect then added, “how is Isaac by the way?"

Trevor nearly choked on his drink; which would have been a shame considering how much he had just paid for it. "Wait, you know who he's dating? That's not even fair! You cheated in our bet and I want a refund."

Dani stared him down with a hand on her hip and a satisfied grin; which was impressive considering she was a good foot and a half shorter than Trevor. "I warned you not to make bets against me, and yet you insisted. You just assumed you were right and nothing would change your mind. Remember, I told you three times to forget about it and three times you challenged me. If I remember correctly, you 'weren't going to miss a chance to try my best drink for free'."

Trevor grumbled to himself and pouted. Scott might have felt bad for him if he wasn’t so distracted. Besides, Trevor had gotten himself into this mess by not thinking; so it was what he deserved really.

"What did Isaac say about me?” he asked. It was weird and strangely exhilarating to hear what Isaac himself was saying about him. Plus it was a good chance to hear what the younger man really thought about him.

“He talked about how kind and gentle you are and also added that you are 'really hot'. He went on to talk about you at length, it seems you made quite an impression on him." Dani said. “It was a busy day, so I had to keep an eye on a lot of customers, but every time I checked back on Isaac and his friend, they were still talking about you.” Then she winked at Scott and added, “and it sounds like you're a beast in the sheets."

Scott’s cheeks burned as Trevor seemed delighted by this revelation and congratulated Scott by clapping him on the back and calling him a dog. While it was good to hear Isaac enjoyed their nights together, it was another thing to hear those words come out of Dani’s mouth. Unsure of how to respond, Scott decided to finish off his beer and just not deal with it.

Dani laughed at Scott’s response. “So it looks like the two of you are getting rather close. How long before we can start drinking in your honor?”

“I’m not planning on marrying him just yet. Don’t rush me into anything,” Scott protested. He sighed as the image of Isaac in a wedding suit flitted across his mind. He shook his head to clear it. “Though I probably should ask him to be my boyfriend soon. I probably will if we keep going out.”

“That’s wonderful news,” Dani said. She poured him a new glass and slid it across the bar. "So Trevor, word about town is you hired a young woman for your shop."

Trevor lit up and started talking about the new mechanic he hired; describing that she knew her stuff and how life was so much easier having someone else so knowledgeable around. Of course, he made mention of how beautiful she was, but insisted that he hired her based on her skill and nothing else. And the conversation flowed long after the bar started filling up and Dani had to move on to serving the other customers. At the end of the night, Scott made sure to promise not to skip out on drinks without warning any more.


	4. The Nuisance that is Susan, The HOA President

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan, the HOA president, stops by Scott's shop to harass him.

Saturdays were always good for business. Especially on days where the sun was shining, the heat was comforting instead of stifling and everyone wanted to go to the park. There had been a steady stream of customers throughout the morning, a few families looking to enjoy the AC after working up a sweat playing frisbee or catch, a couple of gardeners looking to add another plant to their gardens before summer completely faded into fall. And it might have been Scott's imagination, but a few of his customers appeared to be sizing him up. While he was used to people thanking him when he offered assistance, it was very strange that three or four told him he was 'a good man' while nodding to themselves. It was most peculiar. But they all made purchases, so Scott wasn't willing to complain too much.

There was a lull in the tide of customers as it got closer to the noon hour. Scott was watering the marigold sprouts and debating on taking his lunch a little early when the doorbell chimed.

"Welcome to Scott's Nursery, let me know if you--" Scott trailed off when he noticed just who had entered his shop. He sucked air through his teeth, straightened his back, and forced a smile. "Susan, what an unexpected pleasure. How can I help you?"

"Ah Scott, good, I'm glad you're here. Given your habit of not being where you're supposed to be, I wasn't certain I would be able to find you," Susan said, her frothy pink lips twisting into a smile. Her heels clicked hollowly on the tile floor and she came to stand uncomfortably close; her eyes trailed down Scott's arms as her hands fluttered pointlessly before clasping. "I was quite concerned when you didn't show up to the meeting the other night. It crossed my mind that perhaps you thought you were too good to listen to the new regulations the HOA board approved for all businesses and residents in the neighborhood." She paused and did a half turn, gesturing vaguely at the shop. "At least now I can see that you must have had your hands full trying to make this place somewhat presentable. Perhaps you can't see it, but you have dirt absolutely everywhere." 

Scott bit his tongue. Of course he had missed the HOA meeting; he would rather bathe in his compost pile than have to listen to Susan drone on about petty grievances and useless gossip. Besides, Isaac had come over for dinner on that particular night and Scott had zero regrets about choosing Isaac over the HOA.

"I run a nursery, there's going to be dirt," Scott said as politely as he could manage. Maybe he could get away with 'accidentally' spraying her with the hose.

"It's still filthy," Susan replied. "The HOA has increased the cleanliness standard for all businesses. How one shop presents itself affects how others are perceived. There is also a new fine for those not in compliance."

"I'll be sure to read over the new regulations when I take my lunch," Scott promised. He wouldn't, but if it would make her leave sooner, he was willing to say just about anything. 

Susan hummed and tapped a finger to her lips. "You know, the current mess in your shop would be grounds for a fine. I will have to report it to the other board members. Although," she purred and traced a finger down Scott's chest, "I am willing to speak on your behalf. Let them know that you are doing your best. I'm sure they can be reasonable." 

Scott caught Susan's hand and gently pushed it away. "That is kind of you to offer. But I think I can take care of myself. Thank you for the concern." 

Susan pursed her lips and stepped closer, setting both hands on Scott's shoulders. "Now, now, there's no need to be like that. I can be a very good ally to have. I set all the rules and make sure they get enforced. I don't think you can afford to make me angry."

Everything in Scott was screaming to put some space between the two of them, to take a step back and possibly douse her with the hose; but Scott refused to back down. Susan had to learn that he wasn't going to be bossed around.

"I'm already seeing someone. So whatever you think you want from me, please reconsider." 

"And I'm married. But right now, we're the only ones here," Susan said with a toothy grin. She pressed herself against Scott and laced her hands behind his neck. "So, what's it going to be? Entertain me and I will make sure the board knows that you're running a neat and tidy shop? Or refuse me and I let them know just what sort of mess I found today? Hm?" 

Scott set his hands on Susan's hips. "I think, I'm going to have to say..." he pushed her away from him. "Tell the board exactly what you found." 

Susan's expression was a thing of magic as her face went from red to purple. "Fine, if that's what you want," she hissed. She flicked her eyes over him, as if that could somehow hurt him. "There are also puddles of water everywhere; a clear slip hazard." Then with a curt nod of her head she spun on her heel and marched out the front door. 

With a sign, Scott closed up his shop for the lunch hour and headed out back for a smoke. And the day had been going so well until Susan had to ruin it. 


	5. A Walk Around the Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dealing with Susan, Scott decides to take a walk to cool his head. While on the walk, he stops by the animal shelter where Isaac works.

Scott wasn't certain where he was headed. The fifteen minute smoking break had not been enough to clear Susan from his mind and he didn't want her to taint the rest of his day; not when the morning had been going so well. So with an hour and fifteen minutes left of his lunch break, Scott slipped out his back garden and into the local park.

The park was the town's pride and joy; a sprawling fifteen acre plot of land that boasted of walking trails and a small lake that was nothing more than a large pond. Some trails wound through carefully planted forests, away from the sprawling lawns where families would picnic and fly kites. Scott followed one of these paths around the lake; certain that plants would be faster at soothing him than other people. Plus the forested trail would offer cool shade and protection from the late summer sun.

The breeze off the lake was delightful and it was interesting to see what plants the city thought would make for a forest. There were a mix of ash and oak, with a few willows closer to the water, native bushes and ivy that climbed over the occasional rock wall. To an untrained eye, it would be difficult to spot the human influences on the landscape; but Scott wasn't untrained. Instead, he admired the choices of plants and locations; fantasized about what he would do if given a park all his own. It was a wonderful distraction.

Then he came to the fork in the path. Out of habit, he started down the left path, the one that would loop around the lake and return him to his shop; but as he passed the signs, he hesitated.

"Paws for Hope Animal Shelter - 0.5 miles" pointed to the right. Isaac worked at an animal shelter. Scott stared at the sign for a good couple minutes before he changed paths and put the lake behind him.

It was a dumb idea, impulsive. There were two animal shelters in town, and Scott could not remember if Isaac had ever mentioned the name of the one he worked at. It was still a 50-50 shot that Isaac worked at Paws for Hope. It was a Saturday; even if Isaac did work at Paws for Hope, there was no guarantee that Isaac would even be working today.

The arguments bounced in Scott's head, but his feet didn't falter. Then the shelter came into view, a simple building made of concrete cinderblocks, but a colorful mural of flowers and cartoon cats and dogs made the place feel warm and inviting. Scott's heart was pounding when he opened the door.

"Hi, welcome, how can I help you?" the young woman -Sherry, according to her nametag- at the counter asked with a huge smile. The lobby was small, its white walls covered with local ads and colored pictures from the local schools and pictures of pets with their new families.

"Hi, I was wondering, is Isaac in?"

Sherry brightened, her smile turning almost into a grin. "Oh you must be Scott. Wait right here, I'll go get him." Then she disappeared through a door; the clamor of dogs barking intensifying before the door shut once more.

Relief hit Scott, somehow he had gotten it right, Isaac did work at this shelter. Then he was hit with the realization; the receptionist had known who he was.

Isaac must have talked about him. Heat rose to Scott's cheeks as he wondered what Isaac might have said. Surely it was only good things, otherwise the receptionist wouldn't have gone to get Isaac. Right? He must have described one of the few dates that the two of them had gone on. Surely that was all. Yet Isaac had also been the one who tried to light a gas stove with a candle flame; common sense was not one of his strong points.

Luckily, the young woman returned before Scott had enough time to fully worry about what stories Isaac might have shared. "He's getting ready to take a few dogs out for some exercise, but you can come on back if you want," she said as she waved Scott to come around. The dogs were barking incessantly. Scott hesitated as his heart started pounding for reasons other than excitement.

"Are the dogs..."

"Oh, they won't bother you," Sherry reassured, all while waving for Scott to follow her. "Isaac's only taking three out right now, the others are still in their kennels."

Three dogs. Scott could handle three dogs. He hoped. With a steadying breath; he followed her into the back, through the crates of barking dogs, and into the open area where Isaac was looking the happiest that Scott had ever seen him. With three massive dogs at his heels.

"Scott! You came to visit!" Isaac closed the distance between them and greeted him with a kiss; casually sliding a hand down Scott's chest. "I didn't know you missed me that much." Scott hummed in delight, his hand settled on Isaac's him; gently pulling him closer.

"I'll leave you two to it then," Sherry said with a chuckle. "Just make sure the dogs get the proper exercise. If you disappear on me I will get Rover out to track you down."

"Yeah, yeah. I know you wouldn't be able to live without me," Isaac replied. "We'll be back around the normal time; no need to worry."

Sherry hummed and glanced Scott up and down, eyes lingering on his arms. "If you say so honey. I'll give you an extra half hour before I send out the search team." And with that she disappeared back into the lobby. Isaac laughed her off as Scott's face heated up. Exactly what did she think they would need an extra half hour for?

There wasn't much time to contemplate the issue as a wet nose pressed against his hand. A sharp inhale and Scott's back went rigid. Right, the dogs. Dogs that came up to his hip; with their strong jaws and sharp teeth and hunting instincts.

"Hey... hey babe, are you alright?" Isaac asked. He clicked his tongue and the dogs fell into place behind him. Isaac looked up into Scotts eyes and his expression softened. "It's the dogs, isn't it? Are you afraid of them?"

Trust Isaac to catch on right away; while Isaac was never the most logical person Scott had ever met, he was definitely one of the most intuitive when it came to emotions. "They are quite big," Scott relented.

Isaac nodded and gently took Scott's hand; leading both them and the dogs out the door to the patios outside and down to a quiet area past the outdoor play areas for the dogs. The three dogs that Isaac had on a leash were surprisingly calm; walking ahead of the two men, slightly fanned out, but neither pulling nor barking. Ridiculously well behaved. The dogs protested slightly when Isaac had them lay down; two whining while one gave a sharp loud bark; all of which was quietened when Isaac leveled them with a stare.

"Alright, would you like to be introduced to these three or would you like to keep some distance?" Isaac asked after he got the dogs under control. They looked docile, yet even as they panted, all Scott could see were their canines.

"I think I'd rather keep some distance," Scott said. "I want to walk with you, and I'll be alright as long as they walk out in front of us. But I'd rather not get too close if I didn't have to." He paused before adding, "they are amazingly trained. I'm impressed how well behaved they are."

"They are good dogs," Isaac agreed with a grin as he scratched at his palm. "All of our dogs are good boys and girls, though a few have some attitudes. You just have to know how to take care of them and work with them. Sherry says I have the magic touch. But these three are Brutus, Starburst, and Mars. Mars is short for Marsupial, just so you know. She was named by one of the kids who visited on a school trip, in case you want to know."

That got a laugh. Children always did have the most peculiar ideas, and Scott could just imagine a seven year old pointing at the German Sheppard and proudly proclaiming the most peculiar name.

"I can tell you more about them as we walk, if you like," Isaac offered. "It might help you relax around them."

Scott nodded. It wouldn't hurt to try. Isaac beamed. He clicked his tongue and the dogs got up; tails wagging and looking happy as dogs could be. Isaac offered his hand and the two men were on their way. And Isaac told Scott all about how the dogs were found and how Brutus has a favorite stuffed frog and Starburst liked to try and bury food in the corner of her kennel. Though every couple of moments Isaac reached to scratch at his hand.

"Hey Scott, that ring wouldn't happen to be silver, would it?"

Scott glanced down at their connected hands. His ring was a simple band, plain in design with no decoration. "Yeah, why?"

"Ah, that would be why my hand is itching so much. I'm allergic to silver," Isaac said.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry, I didn't know." Scott quickly pulled the ring off and dropped it in his pocket. Now that he knew what to look for, it was apparent that Isaac's hand was pink, and not just because he had been scratching at it. "Are you going to be alright?"

Isaac laughed and took Scott's hand once more. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Silver jewelry is just an irritant; it'll itch for a while, I wasn't touching it for too long, so it'll be fine by the time we get back to the shelter."

"Alright," Scott said, clearly not believing it'll heal that quickly but not wanting to dispute it. He didn't even realize it was possible to be allergic to silver. Well, people were allergic to all sorts of things.

"So what brought you to the shelter today? Did you miss me so much that you couldn't wait for me to come over?" Isaac teased. And so Scott told Isaac about his morning; about how Susan had harassed him and how Scott just wanted to relax so he could go back to work. The hour trip around the lake passed quickly, with both men talking about their day and with Isaac telling Scott more about the dogs. And just as they were saying goodbye, Scott was brave enough to pet Mars just once behind the ears. 

And as Isaac waved goodbye, Scott noticed that, true to Isaac's word, the redness was completely gone.

  
  



	6. Strippers do not belong in Nurseries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Trevor and Dani are trying to come up with ways to get Scott more customers. Trevor's idea is a little unconventional.

“That is the stupidest idea you’ve ever come up with,” Scott said before taking a sip of beer. It was his second drink and probably his last; afternoon was turning into evening and the Saturday crowd was starting to roll in.

“That’s not very nice. Just because I’m brilliant and you wanna steal my idea as your own is not a reason to insult me,” Trevor complained. He was on his third beer and would likely keep drinking till Dani cut him off.

Scott scoffed and shook his head. “Your idea will run me out of business.”

“No, no, no. It’s brilliant,” Trevor reassured. “You need to grab customers’ attention and this will do it. Trust me, Dani will back me up on this.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Dani was hoping between tables and the bar, filling glasses and sending food orders to the kitchen. Periodically she stopped by the corner stage where a local college student was setting up a mic and guitar to make sure everything was running smoothly. It was a few minutes before she was able to make it back over.

“It’s shaping up to be a good night,” she said with a bright smile; she always came alive when the crowds started to gather. She wore a blouse with a plunging neckline that revealed ample cleavage and the necklace that held her wedding ring. “So boys, you come up with any good ideas while I was gone?”

Trevor perked up. “Of course I did-”

“It’s stupid,” Scott interrupted. 

Trevor smacked him and continued, “my idea is brilliant. Scott should hire strippers; they can go to the shop for a few nights and then, boom, customers.”

Dani stared at Trevor for a moment before she burst out laughing. “Oh merciful Poseidon, you’re not joking. You actually think that’s a good idea. I may have to cut you off early tonight.” Scott grinned and gave Trevor a smug ‘I told you so’ look.

“Hey! Now you’re just being mean.” With a huff, Trevor crossed his arms and pouted. “It’s a brilliant idea. It’s clever, it’s unexpected and it will get people’s attention.” 

“Oh it’ll get their attention alright,” Dani said with a grin. She grabbed a rag and started wiping down sections of the bar. “Local garden store Scott’s Nursery hires strippers. Or even better, nursery hires strippers to boost sales.”

“The news would have a field day,” Scott agreed. “And Susan would be on my ass faster than you could imagine. Not all attention is good attention.” 

Trevor shuddered. “That bitch still giving you trouble? You’d think she’d back off now that you’re dating Isaac.” 

“You’d think,” Scott said before taking a long draw of his beer. He sighed and shook his head. “Somehow she seems more interested. That … woman really wants an affair, and she takes every chance to insist that my ‘girlfriend’ isn’t a real woman and could never satisfy me.” That got a small chuckle out of Trevor.

“She’s a nasty woman and you shouldn’t have to deal with her. If you want, I can start a few rumours; a word here, a word there; I can have the whole town against her in no time,” Dani offered with a carnivorous grin. Then she sighed and shook her head as Scott didn’t seem interested. “Right, you don’t approve of such methods. I also have a lawyer friend who could help you out. She’s sharp as a tack and is relentless in her pursuits. She could make Susan back off for good.”

“Thanks, but I can handle her. No need to get a lawyer involved,” Scott said. 

“As you like,” Dani said with a shrug. The doorbell chimed as more patrons came in and Dani’s eyes lit up. She dropped the rag behind the bar and immediately went to give her wife a quick kiss. It was a common occurrence in the Siren’s Call; Liv would stop by around the same time every evening to steal a kiss and pick up dinner. Liv was a talented woman, yet none of those talents extended into the kitchen. 

“Maybe if you got Susan to be one of the strippers,” Trevor mused. He was slowly turning his ale on the counter and staring into the amber liquid as if it would give him the answers he sought. 

“You still caught up on the strippers idea?” Scott asked, more amused than anything. Trust Trevor to be so gung-ho on an idea that nothing was going to deter him. As long as the man didn’t show up at his nursery with a gaggle of strippers, letting him brainstorm shouldn’t hurt anything. In the corner of the bar the college student had started strumming her guitar and introducing herself. 

“I will find a way to make it work,” Trevor grumbled. “I can see it in my head, gorgeous women dancing amidst flowers. Nimble dancers surrounded by a jungle of green.”

Scott regarded his friend before taking another sip of beer. “Is this some sort of payback for having never gone to a strip club with you in college?” Scott asked. “You’re going to bring the strip club to me?” 

“Why would I do that?” Trevor asked, completely dumbfounded. “You don’t even like women.” 

“Nevermind.” Scott sighed, sometimes it was easier to let Trevor continue thinking up ridiculous plans rather than explain why things were a bad idea. Besides, if he hadn’t realized how ridiculous it would be to hire strippers when Dani had tossed out potential news headlines then nothing would. 

Plus, Scott was still no closer to an idea on how to advertise his business than when he started drinking; filming a commercial was too complicated and expensive. Maybe he should try radio advertising? All he needed was a script and to get in touch with the local station. Maybe that would be a worthwhile venture. 

Dani returned with a big smile. “Liv says hi and hopes you’re not getting into too much trouble,” she relayed, all while staring directly at Trevor. Trevor protested how unfair that was which got a laugh out of Dani. “So you still brainstorming ideas?”

“I was thinking about radio advertising,” Scott said.

“That could actually work,” Dani said, sounding impressed. “Have you thought about creating planter boxes to set in front of your store? It won’t tell the whole town that you exist, but you’re right next to the park, so surely you get a lot of foot traffic. And this might be something to help entice people to take a look inside.”

An image of window high planters in front of his shop appeared in Scott's mind; filled with seasonal flowers and herbs that he was growing. It was perfect and beautiful. "I haven't. That's a brilliant idea, I can't believe I didn't come up with that sooner," he said. If he set out an assortment of plants and labeled each by name and price, yes, that would work nicely. 

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Dani replied. "You've been working long hours and been under a lot of stress trying to get the shop to work. It's hard to think of everything at once."

Scott had to agree, though he still felt like he should have thought of the planters himself. He had been wanting to create a few planters for his bedroom windows; it should have been easy to realize that the shop should have some as well.

“What it-”

“If you mention strippers again I’m going to have to smack you,” Scott warned.

Trevor glared and stuck his tongue out before he continued, "What if you made fliers and posted them around town? I could post one in my shop and you could ask other shops if they mind you advertising your shop." 

Scott narrowed his eyes, not truly convinced that that was what Trevor originally was going to say. But when Trevor didn’t add anything about strippers, he relented. "That's actually a good idea. You should have started with that idea.” 

“It’s not as interesting or clever as hiring strippers. It’s mundane and boring and everyone does it,” Trevor said. He finished off his ale and slid it forward so Dani could top him off. “Strippers is unique and exciting. I still think it would be a good idea. Though I’m apparently the only one here who thinks that.”

“You are lucky you inherited your dad’s auto-shop,” Dani said as she refilled Trevor’s glass. “I imagine you’d run a business into the ground within two weeks with that sort of marketing strategy.” She scoffed and shook her head. “At least think about the clientele. You and Scott run family friendly shops; family friendly and strippers don’t mix at all. Strippers might work for me, since I run a bar, but even that is a stretch."

Trevor perked up. "Does that mean you're going to hire strippers?" He was promptly smacked by Scott and Dani. "Hey! I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love on this story! I honestly wasn't expecting to get this much attention for an original story. I really appreciate it. I know I'm slow at writing, but I will be trying to update at least one chapter a month.


	7. Abby the Teenage Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott gets a surprising new customer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited to introduce Abby! She is hands down one of my favorite characters and is one of the most positive and joyful characters to play with. I hope you like her.

The shop was dead.

Logically, Scott knew that advertising would take some time. He had given fliers to a few local businesses last week and had set out planters that morning. He knew that people wouldn't flock to his shop immediately; but it would have been nice to see an increase in customers at least. Over the course of the day six people had stopped in to look around, two actually made a purchase; which was par for a Thursday.

At this rate, Scott was tempted to close up shop early and drag Isaac off to get beers.

"It's not like I was planning on starting a new hobby, but sometimes it's fun to try something new," Isaac said as he told Scott about a painting class that was starting up soon. He leaned against the counter, arms folded across his chest and he was close enough for their legs to be almost touching.

"Have you ever thought to try gardening?" Scott asked, though he was mostly teasing. He was pulling all of the summer seeds off of his seed wall in order to make room for the autumn ones. The summer seeds would go to the clearance shelf next to the cash register.

"I might have thought about it once or twice," Isaac said with a grin, and shifted to bump Scott's hip. "If only there was someone who knew something about plants that could show me what to do."

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but I once grew a plant from a seed," Scott teased as he winked at Isaac.

"What a miracle worker," Isaac said, before his smile cracked and he started laughing. The store, while it looked like a run of the mill garden store, was a nursery; and every plant had been either propagated or grown from seed by Scott himself.

The door chimed and a pulse of excitement hit Scott. He said his usual greeting and offered to assist should the customer need anything. Then he went back to his task of swapping out seeds; while he would be attentive to the teenager who had entered his shop; he didn't want to hover.

"Oh hey Abby, what brings you to this corner of town?" Isaac asked. Scott paused and turned to watch the two greet each. While he knew that the town was small, it was still a surprise to see how many people Isaac knew by name.

"I was working on a school project with Katy; she lives just beyond the park and I thought I'd walk through it on my way home," the teenager said. She was a lanky kid, with narrow shoulders and long limbs; with dark skin and an impossibly bright smile. She turned slightly, as if to show off her backpack that was nearly hidden by her long curly hair.

"Why didn't you have James pick you up? It's half an hour walk to get to your house from here," Isaac said, almost sounding like an older brother. Scott didn't think Abby and Isaac were related; Isaac had never mentioned having a sister before. He knew the name James; he was one of Isaac's close friends, though Scott had yet to meet him.

"I wanted to walk, it's a beautiful day and my cards said that something important was going to happen today. Nothing interesting happened at school; so I thought that maybe I should go looking for it," Abby said.

"Just tell me your brother knows that you're walking home."

"He knows! Pinky promise!" Abby said as she bounced on her toes and held out her pinky for emphasis. "As long as I make it home before dinner, he doesn't mind. So, what are you doing here? Are you starting a garden?"

Isaac laughed and Scott couldn't help but smile. "You know, if I hang out over here enough I just might," he said. "Abby, this is Scott, my boyfriend. I'm chilling with him until he closes and we can go get dinner. Scott, this is Abby, my best friend's sister."

Scott's heart did a flip every time Isaac called him his boyfriend. They had been officially going out for over a month now, but he still wasn't used to it. Boyfriend; the word had a wonderful feel to it.

"It's good to meet you Abby," Scott said with a smile as he offered his hand. "I assume James is your brother."

Abby nodded as she shook Scott's hand; firmly and enthusiastically. "Yep! It's good to meet you too. Isaac's been telling me... well, he's been telling James all about you. I just happen to be there sometimes." She gave Scott the biggest smile as she rocked on the balls of her feet.

Then she gasped and looked excitedly between Isaac and Scott. "This is it! The important thing my cards told me about." She looked about the shop with wonder and nodded her head. "This is it, I just know it. I'm going to start a garden."

Scott blinked at the declaration. "I'll be happy to assist you in selecting a few plants if you wish to start a garden of your own," he said. "Um, may I ask; what do you mean 'your cards told you'?"

Abby spun on her toes to face Scott again. "My tarot cards. I'm a witch."

Scott's face softened into a relaxed smile. Of course, now that she mentioned it, she looked to be the age when a lot of girls got into witchcraft. Scott's own sister had spent some time collecting a bunch of candles and writing poetry about the moon in her teenage years. Not that she’d ever admit to it.

"You must have some talent if you were able to learn that you were going to make a big decision today," Scott said. That must have been the right answer as Abby beamed back at him and Isaac gave him a playful nudge.

"Thanks!" Abby said. She started wandering the store, picking up plants to look at them before shaking her head, setting them down and moving onto the next one. And for once, Scott was glad the store was dead. If he could give Abby his full attention and help get her into gardening; then it would have been worth it.

"So, what do you think of Abby?" Isaac asked; watching Scott as he watched Abby roam about the store.

"She's excitable, but I think that's a good thing," Scott said with a smile. He shook his head and forced himself to go back to his seeds. While he wanted to see exactly what plant Abby selected, it would be better to let her explore on her own. If she had any questions, she could easily ask them. "I like her, she looks like a good kid."

"She is, she's a handful sometimes, but she's fun to be around," Isaac said. "So, about that painting class. It's once a week in the evening for six weeks. It could be fun to try."

"I'll have to think about it. I'm hoping the shop will start to gain more traction; if that happens, I may have to stay open later." As far as excuses went, it was a pretty lame one. Scott regularly closed by the time the painting class would take place; but is was nice to dream of a time when his shop was popular enough to stay open late. Isaac pouted, though didn't press the matter.

"Maybe one of my roommates will join me," Isaac mused. He muttered off a few names, none of which Scott knew.

"Excuse me, Mr. Scott," Abby said, as she appeared at his elbow. "I think I want to start growing seeds; but I'm not sure where to begin." It seemed like she had looked at every plant in the store, but none of them had spoken to her.

"Seeds are an excellent way to start gardening," Scott said; he sidestepped so that Abby could get a better view of her options. "I have a few seed pods that are an easy way to get seeds to germinate. All of these seeds on the wall are good to plant in the fall. While you look, I'll get you a few pods."

Abby hummed and examined the wall; by the time Scott returned, she had selected carrots and radishes.

"Alright, here are the pods," Scott said as he set down an item that looked like a carton of eggs. Inside the carton were little wells filled with fertilized dirt. "All you need to do is plant a seed into the center of the pod and set them in a sunny spot. Be sure to water every few days and they should sprout in a few weeks."

"They're so cute and tiny!" Abby exclaimed as she bent close to examine the pods. "But they are so small, shouldn't I get pots and dirt?" She picked up the pods and followed Scott to the cash register.

"When the plants sprout, that's when they will need to be moved to a bigger pot," Scott said as he rang up the items. "You can get those now if you like, but this right here is all you need to get started. You said you're walking home, so it's probably better if you don't have too much to carry."

"Oh, that is true," Abby said, looking thoughtful. Then she nodded her head and agreed that all she needed today was the pods and the seeds. It was an inexpensive purchase, but somehow it was more satisfying to watch a young kid pick up her first gardening purchase than if Scott had sold an expensive plant to any other customer.

"Thanks for stopping by," Scott said as Abby stowed her purchase in her backpack. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you stop in?"

Abby paused and looked around the shop. "It's warm and full of love," she said. "Your shop is full of magic and has been blessed by the moon." Then with a big smile and a wave, Abby disappeared out the door.

Well, that wasn't what he expected and not very helpful. He couldn't expect every customer to be attracted by a feeling of love and magic. Still, it was impossible not to smile after hearing her answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're having as much fun reading as I am writing these chapters. I know I'm not the fastest writer, but it means so much that you stopped by to read about these characters.


	8. Morning of the Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isaac eats Scott out of house and home.

Isaac ate a lot. Scott had never been one to notice his lover's eating habits, but after three trips to the grocery store in one week he didn't have a choice but to notice. And considering the state of his fridge, another trip to the grocery store was probably in his near future.

"Mornin' babe," Isaac mumbled in Scott's ear, practically leaning against him as he reached to get the eggs. Even half asleep he gave Scott a quick peck and groped his ass; a little habit that Scott was quickly learning to love. It was hard to imagine waking up without Isaac there, strange considering how recently they started dating.

"Good morning. I take it you slept well."

Isaac hummed in response; cracking the eggs as if on autopilot. It would take him at least half an hour to fully wake up, and then he would be a bundle of energy; but for now, Scott enjoyed this cute sleepy side of his partner. Plus it meant he could get his morning coffee in peace. There was a gentle quiet as Scott measured out the coffee grinds as Isaac cracked egg after egg. It was rhythmic.

Too rhythmic. Scott glanced back at the stove just in time to see Isaac crack the twelfth and final egg into the skillet.

"Looks like someone's hungry this morning," he commented.

"It's the full moon," Isaac mumbled as he started whisking the eggs.

Scott raised an eyebrow as he watched Isaac. Gorgeous, shirtless Isaac; with his bronzed skin and sharp hips peeking out from low slung sweatpants. Scott shook his head and returned to pressing buttons on the coffee machine. "So what, you're a werewolf now?"

"Yep."

Scott chuckled and shook his head. If Isaac was a werewolf he'd probably turn into a small fluffy dog that women liked to carry in their purses, or maybe a border collie with all that energy. It was an amusing thought.

"You've been watching too many of those vampire and werewolf movies," Scott said. He turned, and then stared in a sort of mild horror as Isaac set out ten slices of bread to toast. "You're lucky you're cute."

"Thought I was sexy," Isaac said.

"That was last night before I realized you're eating me out of house and home," Scott said. The coffee machine gurgled to life and the relaxing scent of dark roast filled the kitchen. 

"I'll help with the groceries. Only fair since I keep coming over," Isaac said. He hummed as he mixed the eggs, then returned to the fridge to grab the bacon. He paused momentarily, as if in thought. "What if I wore an apron?" he said, almost as if to himself.

"What?”

"An apron. Would I be sexy if I wore an apron?"

Scott reached for two mugs, "how would that make--" an image of Isaac wearing an apron, only an apron, popped into Scott's mind. A pink apron, with a white daisy and lacy trim; covering from just above his nipples to the tops of perfect toned --

Scott swore as he overfilled one of the mugs and he quickly grabbed a towel to clean the mess. "Don't go putting thoughts into my head first thing in the morning."

Isaac grinned, looking amused and so much more awake than only moments before. "I'm gonna get myself an apron."

"I'm not responsible for what I do to you if you insist on teasing me," Scott said. He took his coffee and retreated to the table, content to watch Isaac finish cooking. After all, there were worse things in the morning to look at than the toned back of his lover. Especially when said back was covered in hickies from last night.

"You love me," Isaac said with a flirtatious wink over his shoulder. Scott chuckled and took a sip of his coffee.

It wasn't long before the bacon finished sizzling and breakfast was served. Isaac set the plate with reasonable portions in front of Scott, lingered long enough to get a kiss and drag a hand up Scott's muscled chest. Then he took his own mountain of food to his spot, it was nearly enough food to make Scott sick to his stomach. Did Isaac always eat this much?

“Oh, I won’t be able to come over tonight,” Isaac said as he covered his eggs with salsa. 

“Right, you have that monthly event with your frat tonight. I remember you telling me.” 

“It’s not a frat,” Isaac replied with a wrinkled nose.

“So you keep saying,” Scott chuckled, amused by Isaac’s disgusted look. “But you’ve yet to give me a better name for your exclusive group of friends with mandatory monthly meetings.”

“I keep telling you, it’s a wolfpack.”

“Sure sure,” Scott said as he broke his egg yolk and watched the liquid ooze over his toast. “That’s just another name for a frat.”

“It’s not a frat,” Isaac pouted, though he didn’t offer up any other defense. It was quiet a few moments as the men enjoyed their breakfast and each other’s company.

"You know, I don't remember buying bacon," Scott said.

"Oh, I brought that with me last night. I figured it'd be nice to wake up to," Isaac replied as he covered the mountain of eggs with salsa.

"Hey Isaac."

"Yeah?" 

"I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reveal is coming up!!! Look for it in Chapter 10 or 11. I am slow at writing, but I will be posting once a month for the foreseeable future.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking around and reading my original story. I hope you like all the soft stories and will come back for more shenanigans in the future.


	9. Susan's a Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan does not like the planter boxes Scott put in front of the shop. Also, she's a bitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I am a month late! Sorry about missing a month, I really struggled to write this chapter. But to make up for it, I'm posting 2 chapters to catch up on my posting schedule. (I say as if I actually have a plan for what I write instead of writing what I feel like.) I hope you enjoy!

Susan was a bitch. There was no two ways about it. Scott did his best to be a kind person and to reserve judgement, but patience and understanding could only go so far before a man started to loathe and despise a person. With Susan, that initial patience had lasted about three minutes into their first meeting. And now, any interaction Scott was forced to have with the woman quickly became torture.

“Scott! What are those hideous boxes outside?!” And this time, Scott’s headache started from the moment he heard her yelling across his store. She stood there, hair and makeup done in complete contrast to her workout apparel, completely unaffected by the stares she was getting from everyone in the shop. Actually, that was a lie, she seemed to revel in the attention she was getting from the shocked customers; an older couple, two college students and the woman that Scott was actually helping.

“Those are planters, they hold plants,” Scott replied, doing his best to keep his professional personal from cracking. “If you could please wait your turn, I am helping a customer.” He turned back to the woman who was trying to select plants for her lawn; shifting on his feet to turn his back to Susan. Surely she would have enough sense to recognize that he wasn’t going to deal with her interrupting.

And it would snow in hell. 

“I’m sorry about that. As I was saying, these bushes would make for a good addition to any flowerbed. They require only a little bit of water and can withstand the temperature change from summer to winter,” Scott explained as he handed the potted plant over. 

“I see,” she replied. She accepted the plant, though her eyes were focused on Susan; who had turned red from being ignored and stomped over to demand attention. Scott couldn’t blame her for being distracted; Susan had that affect on people.

“You cannot have those boxes of filth cluttering up the sidewalk! They ruin the image of the street and will negatively affect the other businesses next to you.” A sharp finger prodded at Scott’s arm as Susan yelled at him; somehow even louder than before. 

Scott grit his teeth and tried to remain pleasant. “Susan, I am currently helping a customer. I would greatly appreciate it if you could wait a moment and I will get right with you.” He deliberately turned back to his customer and offered his apologies once more. “Was there any other plants you were looking to purchase today?” 

The woman hummed as she bit her lip, her gaze still transfixed past Scott as Susan glared at her. “I think... . I mean, you know,” she quickly shoved the potted bush back into Scott’s hands. “I’m sorry. I think I have somewhere else I need to be.” 

“Of course,” Scott said, hoping his voice was as soothing as possible. “Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful day.” Crestfallen, he watched her scamper out the door. Taking a deep breath, he turned to deal with a smug looking Susan. 

“Do I have your attention now?” she asked. Scott wanted to punch her, instead he settled for allowing his smile to drop and glaring at her. Somehow that seemed to make her even more smug.

“I hope you’re planning on buying something in order to make up for the sale you just lost me,” Scott said. It stung. Before Susan had barged in, the customer had been looking to purchase around five-hundred dollars worth of plants. It would have easily been the largest sale he ever made. But now? Now Scott would be lucky if she even returned.

“Don’t be stupid,” Susan said. “Now, about those eyesores in front of your shop. It is against HOA policy to allow clutter in front of businesses and I demand that you remove them at once.” She settled her arms on her hips and lifted her nose as if it gave her more authority. She looked like a mother scolding a teenage child, which only looked ridiculous as Scott was at least six inches taller and seventy pounds heavier than her. 

“Those planter boxes are a part of my business. They are specifically meant to entice customers to come inside and look at the plants. As they have a legitimate business purpose, they cannot be considered clutter,” Scott said through gritted teeth.

“That’s not what the HOA board is going to say,” Susan said, as if that was an actual threat. 

Which it technically was. As annoying as the HOA was, they had the power to implement fines to Scott and he honestly didn’t have the money to ignore their wishes. To this point Scott had complied with all of the stupid requests that he received from the HOA in hopes that they would leave him alone and bother someone else. 

“If the HOA decides that I am not allowed to advertise my business in front of my business, then they will have to send me written notification. You cannot come into my shop, scare away my customers and expect me to do whatever you demand,” Scott said. “Now, if that’s everything, I have a shop to run. Unless you plan to buy anything, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Susan’s face slowly fell as she realized Scott wasn’t going to bend to her wishes. “Fine, if that’s how you want to do this. I was hoping you would be reasonable and we could get this taken care of without involving the board,” she said. “I like you, I really do. It’s a shame you have to be so difficult.” 

Scott rolled his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when she finally left the nursery. Dealing with Susan was always awful, but somehow, that was even worse. Scott was tempted to close up shop so he could take a break, but that would require asking his remaining customers to leave, and he didn’t have the energy for that.

“Well wasn’t she just a bitch,” the little old woman said from the corner of the store. Her husband was quick to comment that she shouldn’t say things like that. 

It wasn’t much, but Scott couldn’t help but smile. Trust little old women to speak their minds and say the truth. When she eventually made her way to the counter, Scott insisted on giving her a discount and delighted in how she smiled at the generosity. She even bought a second plant because of it.


	10. Full Moon Hangover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after a full moon, Scott finds Isaac naked and passed out in his garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write, I got to play around with a classic werewolf trope and twist it. Enjoy!

October mornings were cool and crisp and arguably the best time of the year. The morning fog always had such a magic quality that softened the day and brightened Scott's mood. The day was shaping up quite nicely, despite waking up to an empty bed. Isaac had his monthly frat outing the night before and had been kind enough to leave some pancakes in the fridge. And since Scott had a few hours before he had to open up the shop, he decided to take the morning slowly. So it was with a saited appetite and a steaming cup of coffee that Scott stepped out onto his back patio.

And found a naked Isaac passed out on his back lawn. 

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Scott grumbled. Isaac appeared to be fine; merely covered in random bits of muck and grime, no doubt from whatever drunk adventures he had gotten up to. "You shouldn't be sleeping there. You're going to catch a cold and I am not going to take care of you," he said as he nudged Isaac with his foot.

Instead of waking up, Isaac mumbled incoherently and rolled onto his back and actually started to snore. Irritated, Scott sipped his coffee and pulled his robe tighter around him. "It's cold out here, at least have the decency to be affected by it," he grumbled. As if to spite him, Isaac stretched out more, his body -sensitive bits included- completely unaffected by the chill. In fact, it almost looked as if the morning dew was steaming off of him. The bastard. 

After more unsuccessful wake up attempts, Scott gave up and simply covered his boyfriend with a tarp and went to relax on the patio. A little unexpected -if unconventional- visit from his boyfriend was not going to throw Scott off his stride. As he sipped his coffee, Scott looked across the garden, planning out his next season's plants and trying to ignore his snoring boyfriend. 

The summer plants would need to be uprooted and moved inside to survive the coming cold weather. In their place Scott could plant some lovely winter berries of some sort. The stone garden wall would look lovely with something a vibrant red against them. 

The eight foot high stone wall.   


That Isaac must have climbed.

How drunk must Isaac had been last night? The only door into the back garden was made of solid wood and Scott could see the padlock still in place. It was ridiculous. Isaac had a key, he could have simply let himself into the house. Scott wouldn't have minded.

But then, Isaac was also naked. Which meant the key was wherever Isaac's clothes were. Tequila was probably the culprit. Isaac always seemed to make his most rash and brainless decisions when tequila was involved. Unable to resist, Scott snapped a quick picture on his phone; purely for blackmail purposes, he told himself. It had absolutely nothing to do with how adorable the younger man looked. Nothing. 

His phone lit up, a random number scrawled across the screen. Technically, the shop was closed, he didn't have to answer it. Scott sighed and took another sip of his coffee before answering.

"Hello Scott, my name is Atlas. Sorry to bother you this early in the morning. Is Isaac there? According to Caroline, he apparently went over to your place part way through last night."

"He's here. Currently he's sleeping. You must have thrown quite the party for him to end up at my place. Tell me, do you happen to know where his clothes are?" Scott asked.

"His clothes?" There was a long drawn out sigh as Atlas most likely face palmed. "I'll take a look around the house. Do you want me to bring something over for him to wear?" 

"That would be appreciated." Not that it was necessary; Isaac had stayed over often enough to have a stash of clothes tucked away in Scott's closet. But if Scott had to deal with a hungover Isaac, he didn't see any reason to spare Isaac's frat mate. 

"Who was that?" a sleepy Isaac asked as he sat up. It wasn't fair. Even covered in grime and dew, even with his hair sticking up in every possible direction, he still looked like an absolute angel. It didn't help that Isaac had absolutely no shame and didn't seem to care if the tarp covered his lap completely. 

"Your frat buddy Atlas. He's going to bring you some clothes," Scott said as he lit a cigarette and most definitely was not looking at Isaac's supple hips.

"Atlas is coming over?" Isaac asked, wrinkling his nose and apparently missing the part where he was completely naked. 

"Yeah. You're lucky you have such good friends who are willing to look after you," Scott said. 

"Though do me a favor and don't get so drunk next time that you show up completely naked. Ok?"

Isaac looked down at himself and finally pulled the tarp back to properly cover himself. "But I wasn't drunk," he softly protested. He was way too cute and Scott deserved some sort of medal for dealing with this nonsense.

"Sure. You went to a frat party and didn’t get drunk. That completely explains how you got completely naked, crossed an entire town, scaled my garden wall, and then passed out in my garden." 

"I missed you," Isaac said so innocently that Scott had to take a drag from his cigarette. Fuck, it was impossible to stay mad at him. Especially when he made an adorable face then added, "and it wasn't a frat party. I'm not in a frat. I'm in a wolfpack."

Scott raised his eyebrow. "You call it a wolfpack? Do you know what that's called by everyone else?"

"What?"

"A frat." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting so close to the big reveal! Next chapter is going to be the big one! I hope it lives up to your expectations and that you enjoy it. Thank you to everyone who has read up to this point and left kudos, I absolutely love every single one of you.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking a chance to read an original story. I really hope you enjoy it.


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